The emphasis of this project is to use molecular genetics, including recombinant DNA techniques, to understand the pathogenesis of gonorrhea and some other infectious diseases. We have developed and are characterizing monoclonal antibodies to several gonococcal outer membrane proteins. Preliminary data suggest that we have antibodies which are strain specific and some which react with the protein of several strains. These antibodies will be used to screen our clone banks and identify the genes of interest. We have also synthesized a mixed oligonucleotide "probe" which should detect the structural gene for the major outer membrane protein (PI) of the gonococcus. This mixture of oligonucleotides matches the sequences which could code for one of the amino acid sequence portions which have been determined for his molecule. Since several of the systems studied at RML may consist of multi-gene families, we have developed a novel cloning vector which allows selection of genes by homology. This system is similar to that utilizing lambdoid phage developed by Brian Seed but has two significant advantages.